FIGMENT
by SupernaturallyEgocentric
Summary: Coming down to the end of Figment - a continuing drabble featuring Sam, a bloody knife, an ifrit and the possibility of a very messy death. Here come the last four chapters. Hope you all enjoy. I love a happy ending!
1. Chapter 1

FIGMENT

Sam ran into the motel room as if the devil were after him.

Falling to his knees, he pulled out his knife and ran a wicked slice up his arm, then soaked his hand in the blood and started frantically copying out a pattern on the floor.

It was an intricate design. The blood on his hand kept drying. He had to keep pressing on the wound to keep the blood flowing so that he could finish.

When he was done, Sam covered it with a sheet from the bed. Then, wild-eyed, he flattened himself against the wall and waited.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Juggling a cardboard box, a six-pack of beer and a couple bags of burgers and fries, Dean fumbled open the door to the motel room.

"Sam? Gimme a hand –" The rank stink of blood filled his nostrils. Without thinking he dropped everything and jerked his pistol out of his belt, eyes scanning the darkened room.

There was no movement, no sound save the rattle of harsh breathing.

"Sammy?"

A groan was the only reply.

Kicking the door shut, Dean turned the light on.

Sam lay on the floor in a growing pool of blood, white as bone and unconscious.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_ one, two, three_

Dean dabbed the blood away, sent the needle in again.

_four, five, six _

"No." Sam groaned himself awake. "_Please_."

"Take it easy, Sammy," Dean said soothingly. "Just a few more."

s_even, eight, nine. _

"No, Dean, it's coming." Sam's eyes stretched wide with terror. "You gotta run!"

_ ten, eleven, twelve_

_ "it's coming it's coming it's coming!" _

"Dammit, Sammy, hold still!"

_ thirteen, fourteen, fifteen_

Sam reached out with his injured arm, grasped Dean's shoulder,

s_ixteen_

tried to speak past the violent shuddering that took him. "_Listen_."

_ seventeen_

"Easy, Sam. Almost there."

"Dean!" Sam cried out despairingly. "_Run_."

_ eighteen_


	4. Chapter 4

This, and my other stuff, is late. So, so late. Been sick as the proverbial dog for the last two weeks, just starting to pull out of it. So, my apologies for not posting.

CHAPTER FOUR

Sam was out. Exhaustion and loss of blood had taken him under. His last, frantic words before sinking into unconsciousness had been another plea for Dean to run.

Dean had given him a transfusion, about a pint; enough to avoid the hospital. The cut up his arm, unmistakably self-inflicted, would land him in the psych ward, sure as hell.

The blood ward on the ceiling had dried. What Sam had been trying to keep out was unknown. Whether the ward would hold? Also unknown.

All he could do was wait for Sam to wake up, and hope he was coherent.


	5. Chapter 5

Oops, sorry, I'm late! Was working on chapter ten of My Boys, HAD TO FINISH! But here it is, hope you like it!

CHAPTER FIVE

Everything hurt.

Sam heard a faint groan. Vaguely aware that it was he making the pathetic sound, he tried to stop, so as not to wake Dean.

Too late.

"Don't move, Sammy."

He felt Dean's hand on his forehead. "You got a pretty good fever going."

Sam couldn't talk his eyes into opening. He licked his lips, coughed.

"You thirsty?"

Sam heard movement. Soon Dean was holding a glass of water to his lips. It tasted like heaven.

"I'm sick?"

There was a pause. "Yeah, you're sick."

"What's wrong?"

"Just the flu, Sam. Go back to sleep. We'll talk later."


	6. Chapter 6

Oh thank you, Chuck, I'm freaking back! My laptop tried to commit suicide. I just got it back and am busy writing my guts out. I got a ton done in longhand while I was waiting, but I can't, just CAN'T, edit or polish by longhand. (sigh)

So here's the E/O challenge for the last two weeks, challenge words line and kick. Will have the next chapter for Balls 2: Sam & Dean's Mexican Adventure up tomorrow and am working on the next chapters for My Boys and Junkyard Dog.

Hurray! It feels freaking great! And OH MY FREAKING GOD how I've missed reading everyone else's stuff. IT WAS HELL!

Heh heh. I'm a happy fucking camper.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

CHAPTER SIX

Stepping out of the shower, Dean heard muffled sounds coming from the bedroom. Towel wrapped 'round his waist*, he flung the bathroom open quickly and stepped out to see Sam, on his feet but none too steady, going for the door.

Dean caught him just short of the salt line. "Hey, kiddo. Where you going?"

Sam stared at him, eyes wide and dark with pain and confusion. "Gotta go."

Dean steered him back to the bed. "You're sick. We're gonna stay here for a while. At least till your fever's gone." He helped Sam lay back down and covered him with the bedspread. "You thirsty?"

Sam nodded. He drank eagerly when Dean held a glass to his lips and swallowed a few more aspirin. Then, breathing ragged, he sank back onto the pillow. "Dean."

"I'm right here," Dean said gently.

"We gotta go."

Dean brushed the hair back from his brother's forehead; stared into his eyes. He saw nothing but fevered confusion. "Why?"

Sam tried to kick off the blanket. "Gotta _go_," he repeated.

Dean held him down. "_Why_?"

For just a moment, Sam's eyes cleared. "_Ifrit._"

Dean turned white. "Oh, _crap_."

Bad news delivered, Sam sank back into unconsciousness.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

*Because nothing beats a Winchester in a towel.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER SEVEN

An _ifrit_. If one of those bastards was around, they _did_ need to get the hell out of here. Recovering himself quickly, Dean checked Sam's pulse. It was weak and thready and his fever was making a comeback.

Cursing under his breath, he pulled a blanket back over his unconscious brother, then hurried into the bathroom, rinsed a washcloth out in cold water and brought it back to lay on Sam's forehead.

Jesus. _Ifrit_ were hard bastards to kill, magic the only thing that could hurt them. He looked at the trap on the ceiling.

_Hope the damned thing works._


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Dean flipped his cell open, pressed speed dial. It was picked up after a few rings.

"You know what time it is, right?"

"Sorry, Bobby."

"What's going on?"

"You know much about _ifrits_?"

Dead silence.

"Bobby?"

"I hope to hell you're kidding."

"I found Sam unconscious. He used his blood to ward our room. Only thing I got out of him was _ifrit."_

"How is he?"

Dean looked at his brother. "Unconscious. Temp's pretty high, but it's starting to come down. I can't move him."

"Where are you?"

"San Diego, uh, Ocean Beach. You know it?"

"I'm on my way."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

For those of you who are following it, I am working on the next chapter for Junkyard Dog. It will be up this week.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9

There was a knock on the door. Dean peeked outside, then opened the door and Bobby slipped inside, carrying a duffel. "Any sign of it?"

Dean shook his head. He nodded toward the bed where Sam lay quietly. "I was just about to wake him, get some more water and meds down him."

Bobby stared down at Sam worriedly. "What's his temp?"

"101. Down from 103." Dean shook Sam's shoulder gently. "Time to wake up, Sammy. Look who's here."

Sam opened his eyes and gazed blankly up at Dean and Bobby. Then he smiled wonderingly. "Hey, guys. We're still alive?"


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

"Sammy, where'd you see an _ifrit_?

"I'm sorry, Dean." Sam's face clouded. "It's my fault. My fault it's out there."

Dean and Bobby exchanged glances. "What's going on, Sam?" Bobby asked gently, seeing that the young hunter still wasn't quite himself.

Sam struggled to sit up, able to only because Dean slipped an arm around his shoulders to help. Breathing ragged, he stared around the room, then nodded at a bottle on the floor. "There."

Dean picked it up. Dark blue, tall, slim¸ lid screwed on tight. No markings. Nothing special.

"I did it," Sam whispered. "I let it out."


	11. Chapter 11

FIGMENT 11

Dean stared at the bottle and back at his brother. "Ah, Sammy, no. How could you?"

A look of distress came over Sam's face. "I'm sorry, Dean."

Bobby took the bottle from Dean and looked it over. "Huh. It doesn't say 'Danger. Ifrit Inside.'" He stared meaningfully at Dean. "Hard to see how he could have known."

Dean looked at Sam. His brother's face was still flushed with fever. His eyes, framed by sweat-slicked hair, looked away in shame. "Oh, hell," Dean said in a contrite voice. He crossed quickly back to Sam, who shrank away from him.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

"Sam, it's not your fault. Who the hell expects to find a _djinn_ in a bottle, much less an _ifrit_?"

"It _is_ my fault." Sam pulled himself out of bed, grabbing at the bedside table for support, knocking over a few pill bottles and the t.v. remote. "Fucked up! I'm _always_ fucking up!"

After a hairy few minutes, Dean and Bobby gentled Sam back into bed, got some more meds down him.

Bobby looked down worriedly at the delirious hunter. "Maybe there is no _ifrit_. What are the chances it's just the fever talking?"

"With our luck?" Dean said. "Remote."


	13. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

The wind shivered against the window and the sound of rain on the roof filled the little room.

Bobby looked outside. "This storm came up kinda quick," he said, uneasy.

"Well, hell, Bobby. It's spring. Weather's unpredictable lately." Dean shrugged.

"Oh yeah? Well, when I came in, there wasn't a cloud in the sky." Bobby gestured out the window. "Now it looks like Dorothy's house is gonna drop on us any freaking minute."

A blast of wind shook the door and Sam, eyes wild, moaned, clutching the blankets. "I'm sorry, please, I didn't mean to! Dean, run! Run!"


	14. Chapter 14

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The storm beat so hard upon the windows the hunters half-expected it to smash through the glass and crush them all.

Gradually, however, its unnatural fury lessened. The morning sun shone through the windows. They dared to breathe again.

"What's happening? Is it over?" Sam asked weakly. He raised himself up, eyes hollow with fever and exhaustion, then started violently at a soft knock on the door.

Perplexed, Bobby and Dean stared at each other.

"Do _ifrit_ knock?" Bobby whispered.

"Sometimes we do. Mostly we don't," a genial voice said from outside. "May I come in?"


	15. Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

The door opened.

The being who entered the room appeared as a male in his twenties, though his vivid green eyes were far older. He was pale and slim, with delicate features and long braided hair that hung down his back.

"I got tired of waiting," he said simply. He looked past Bobby and Dean at Sam, who'd collapsed back onto the bed. "You freed me."

Sam didn't answer, just stared weakly at him.

"Most who free my kind seek a boon," the ifrit continued. "They receive death instead."

He took a step toward the bed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Okay, the challenge was to use both weak and week. Couldn't do it. So, as penance, will post another chapter later today, with week. Mea culpa!


	16. Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

OOOOO

As the ifrit moved toward Sam, Dean lunged forward, coming between them. With a slight movement of his hand, the being sent the older Winchester spinning across the room. Dean slammed into the wall and down to the floor with a groan.

Bobby started forward but the ifrit raised a hand and froze him in place.

Dazed, Dean struggled up. "You bastard, Sam didn't ask you for a damned thing! He's not built that way!"

"No, he didn't." The ifrit looked down at Sam. "And for that act of selflessness I offer you one week of servitude, Sam Winchester."


	17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

"Do you accept?"

Sam stared back at him with fevered eyes.

"You are ill." The djinn reached out toward Sam.

"Damn it, don't you touch him!" Dean growled.

The djinn ignored him. He touched Sam's forehead. Sam drew in a sharp breath, slumped back against his pillow.

"Sam!"

Frantic, Dean struggled to reach his brother. The djinn glanced at him in mild surprise. "Calm yourself. He will wake soon."

"Sam won't want your service," Bobby said.

"Yes, I saw that when I touched him." His tone was indifferent. "Where is my bottle?"

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Yeah, normally I'd be working with the E/O prompt, but I could NOT figure out how to make the boys being in a bar fit into this chapter. I think I'll let that happen in the very last chapter, which will be in one or two chapters.


	18. Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

After a moment, Dean nodded toward the blue bottle on the bureau top.

The ifrit took slow, careful steps toward it; picked it up and regarded it with expressionless eyes. Then with a movement too swift to track, he swung the bottle and smashed it against the bureau, blue shards scattering everywhere.

Bobby sucked in a breath and Dean, startled, jumped. Realizing he was no longer trapped, after a wary glance at the ifrit, he eased slowly toward his brother.

The djinn looked with some amusement at the remains of the bottle.

"So," he mused. "Not so indestructible after all."


	19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

"Sammy," Dean whispered. He ran his hand over his brother's forehead. It was cool. Sam appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

He heard footsteps, turned to face the djinn.

"I have done what I could to ease his body," the djinn said, something like regret in his voice. "I cannot heal his mind."

"Never occurred to me you'd do anything but kill us," Dean said frankly.

The djinn's mouth twitched. "It did occur to me." He looked down at Sam, his brow creased. "An unusual human."

"He is."

"A pity your angels have such little regard for one of heaven's chosen."


	20. Chapter 20

CHAPTER TWENTY

Dean flushed, a tremor of fear running through him.

The djinn smiled at him. "We play no part in that battle."

"Good." Dean licked his lips. "Cause the game board's kinda crowded."

The djinn's lip curled contemptuously. "It is a small canvas, hardly worthy of us. If we wished, we could wipe it clean and begin again."

Dean looked toward Bobby, who was looking a little pale.

Sam stirred restlessly, murmured something unintelligible.

The djinn stared at him. His lips twitched in a small smile. "He will not accept my service. But, I think, he will not refuse a _gift_."


	21. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

Sam lay still, quiescent.

Wherever he was, it was quiet; the air soft, warm. There was a rhythmic, whooshing noise somewhere in the background; he couldn't quite tell what it was. His mind chased after it lazily, but soon let it go, content to luxuriate in the peace of the moment.

"Hey, sleepyhead."

His lips curved in an involuntary smile. "Dean?" he whispered.

"Who else?"

Sam felt a familiar hand on his forehead and leaned into it gratefully. "Where are we?"

Dean's voice was amused. "Why don't you open your eyes, find out?"

Sam shook his head.

"_Sammy_. Open up."


	22. Chapter 22

CHAPTER 22

Sam drank in the sea air, the hot sun, the complete silence except for the sound of the water and the occasional sea bird. "How long can we stay?"

"Long as we want, Sammy," Dean answered, on his knees, digging industriously in the sand. "It's Club Freaking Med."

At a snort from Bobby, Dean amended, "Well, Club Winchester, with a side order of Singer."

Sam stared wonderingly out to the horizon. "But, Dean, _how_?"

"Magic." Dean shrugged, not really caring. "Djinn said when we're ready to go, just say the word and we'll be back at Bobby's place."

"What word?"


	23. Chapter 23

CHAPTER 23

Dean looked up at him with exasperation. "Well, if I _say_ it, we'll be back at Bobby's place. Back to hunting." He looked pointedly at Sam. "I'm not ready yet. And neither are you." He motioned to the water. "Go on, have a swim."

Sam looked longingly at the warm water, hesitated. "I don't –"

"Don't make me _throw_ you in!" Dean threatened, shaking a fist at him.

Sam gave him a little half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, then walked slowly to the water. He went in up to his knees, stood there looking back uncertainly at his brother.


	24. Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

Dean looked at Bobby, buried under several feet of sand. The only thing visible was his head, covered by the inevitable ball cap. "You okay?"

"Yep."

"Want me to dig you out?"

"Hell, boy, you just spent an _hour_ putting me in here! Just pour some water on my head. I'm good. You go tend to your brother."

Dean carefully poured the water from his pink, plastic bucket onto the older man's head, started toward Sam. "I'll just be a minute!"

"Just don't forget me! Tide comes back in, doubt I can hold my breath till it goes out again!"


	25. Chapter 25

CHAPTER 25

Sam grabbed Dean's arm. "_Look_."

Far, _far_ out, a whale breached the water, The two brothers watched as it rose and fell, rose and fell, half a dozen times before disappearing.

"Wow," Dean said, awestruck.

Sam nodded, still staring out at the endless expanse of water.

"You okay, Sammy?"

Sam took a deep breath, nodded again.

"Me, too." Dean slung an arm around his brother's waist, pulled him in tight. "What do you say – think the world can get along without us for a week or two?"

Sam smiled. This time it reached his eyes. "I say we let them try."

THE END

Many thanks to all who have read and reviewed. Hope this ending suits. :) I love a happy ending.


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